Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

यस्तस्य पुरतः स्थित्वा जपेद्रुद्रशिरः शुचिः । माघशुक्लचतुर्दश्यां पूजयित्वा स्रगादिभिः

Transliteration

yastasya purataḥ sthitvā japedrudraśiraḥ śuciḥ | māghaśuklacaturdaśyāṃ pūjayitvā sragādibhiḥ

Translation

Quiconque, pur, se tient devant Lui et récite le Rudraśīrṣa, et, le quatorzième jour lunaire de la quinzaine claire de Māgha, l’honore par des guirlandes et autres offrandes—

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that (deity)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• पुरतः: in front (of)
• पुरतः: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (in front of)

• स्थित्वा: having stood
• स्थित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having stood)

• जपेत्: should recite/mutter
• जपेत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• रुद्रशिरः: Rudraśiras (the hymn/name)
• रुद्रशिरः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस्/शिरः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘रुद्रस्य शिरः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure, clean
• शुचिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of यः)

• माघशुक्लचतुर्दश्याम्: on the 14th day of the bright fortnight of Māgha
• माघशुक्लचतुर्दश्याम्: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध-निर्देश: ‘माघस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य चतुर्दशी’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having worshipped)

• स्रगादिभिः: with garlands and the like
• स्रगादिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज्/स्रग् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अव्ययीभावार्थ-समूहसूचक: ‘स्रग्-आदि’ = garlands etc.); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa (liṅga-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-uttamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, purified, stands before the Rudraśīrṣa-liṅga on Māgha śukla caturdaśī, offering garlands and performing solemn recitation.

Characters & Entities

• Rudraśīrṣa
• Māgha (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, devotion, and disciplined recitation before the deity are presented as direct means to receive grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site is the Rudraśīrṣa-liṅga location described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stand before the deity, perform japa of “Rudraśīrṣa,” and worship on Māgha bright fortnight caturdaśī with garlands and similar offerings.